Dr Ira Deveson
Dr Ira Deveson is a genomics researcher developing cutting‑edge sequencing technologies to better understand human genetic diversity and transform genomic medicine. A faculty member at the Garvan Institute and Conjoint Lecturer at UNSW, Ira leads a research program focused on long‑read DNA sequencing, algorithm development and large‑scale genomic analysis.
Ira has delivered several landmark contributions to the field. He led one of the first comprehensive studies describing the unique genetic landscape of Indigenous Australians; developed new computational and sequencing methods that improve diagnosis of neuromuscular disease; and contributed transformative innovations in COVID‑19 genomic surveillance, cancer genome analysis, and rare disease diagnostics. He also built Australia’s leading facility for long‑read DNA sequencing, positioning his team at the forefront of the next technological shift in genomics.
Ira’s work has been published in high-impact journals such as Nature and Nature Biotechnology, and he has secured over $15 million in competitive research funding as lead investigator. His contributions have been recognised with the 2024 Early Career Researcher of the Year (Biological Sciences) NSW Premier’s Prize for Science and Engineering and the Australian Academy of Science 2025 Ruth Gani Medal for Genetics.
Ira’s Snow Fellowship Program
Ira’s Snow Fellowship will accelerate his mission to expand the equitable genomic medicine. His program aims to optimise next‑generation long‑read sequencing and analytical methods capable of decoding some of the most challenging regions of the human genome – highly repetitive and structurally complex regions that may comprise up to half of all genetic material yet remain poorly understood.
A major focus of Ira’s program will be working with Indigenous communities across Australia in collaboration with the National Centre for Indigenous Genomics, to better characterise the unique and genetic diversity of First Nations peoples. These efforts will support the development of more inclusive and representative genomic reference data, a crucial step toward equitable precision medicine. Ira’s research will also advance diagnosis and treatment of rare inherited disorders and improve understanding of gastro-oesophageal cancer by enabling more accurate detection of previously hidden complex mutations. The program will help establish Australia as a global leader in long‑read genomics and its clinical application.
Ira is thrilled to join the 2025 Snow Fellowship cohort. Already collaborating with several Snow Fellows, he looks forward to strengthening the program’s growing genomics expertise and building a national initiative that pushes the boundaries of genomic science.